Tribute Games

Tribute Games is an independent video game developer based in Montreal, Quebec, founded in 2011 by Jonathan Lavigne, Jean-François Major, and Justin Cyr. All three previously worked at Ubisoft Montreal, where they contributed to Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game. The studio specializes in retro-inspired pixel art games that recreate the feel of classic arcade and console games with modern polish. Their two biggest releases are Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge in 2022 and Marvel Cosmic Invasion in 2025, both published by Dotemu.

Early Releases and the Studio’s Identity

Tribute Games established its identity immediately with Wizorb in 2011, a Breakout-style game with RPG elements that demonstrated the studio’s interest in taking classic arcade formats and adding modern depth. Mercenary Kings in 2014, a run-and-gun shooter inspired by Metal Slug with extensive weapon crafting, expanded the studio’s reach and sold well on PlayStation 4 through PlayStation Plus. Flinthook in 2017 was a roguelike platformer built around a grappling hook mechanic. Panzer Paladin in 2020 was a side-scrolling action game where players could pick up and wield enemy weapons or sacrifice them for magic attacks. Each game applied a different retro genre as its foundation while adding a mechanical twist that made it feel distinct.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge released in June 2022, published by Dotemu, and became the studio’s breakthrough commercial and critical success. A beat-em-up built to evoke the TMNT arcade games of the late 1980s and early 1990s, it featured six-player online co-op, a full roster of classic characters including April O’Neil and Splinter, and voice performances from several members of the original animated series cast. It received strong reviews, sold over four million copies, and won multiple awards. The game proved Tribute Games could execute at a scale and quality level beyond their previous releases while staying true to their pixel art roots.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion

Marvel Cosmic Invasion released on December 1, 2025, again published by Dotemu, applying the same beat-em-up format from Shredder’s Revenge to the Marvel universe. The game features heroes including Captain America, Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, Black Panther, and Storm fighting against a Skrull invasion. It launched for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The collaboration with Dotemu on two major licensed beat-em-ups in three years establishes Tribute Games as the leading studio in the modern revival of the genre.